UPDATE: Just got a call from Barnes & Noble and as suspected, they say this is false. Barnes & Noble has absolutely no plans to bring the Android Market to the Nook Color and “Are committed to NOOKDev,” the developer outreach program that encourages apps built specifically for the Nook Color. Barnes & Noble does plan to bring Froyo to the device some time next year, but they are not committeed to any date, so don’t expect to see this on your device next month.

Here is the original report on the rumor.

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The Nook Color is still running Android 2.1 and doesn’t have the Android Market, which is a disadvantage when compared to other tablets on sale (It’s actually a color reader but people think it has tablet potential). But Barnes & Noble may soon address both of those issues.

According to Steve Green on Smartphone Magazine, Barnes & Noble will release an update to the Nook in January 2011 that will bring both Android 2.2 and the Android Market. A B&N rep showed Green the tablet currently running a test version of the new update and said that it would provide better support for scrolling, battery, and loading apps.

Green claims that the Market will be “retooled” and certain apps will not be visible to it, an obvious concern considering that the Nook Color lacks some hardware features, like GPS, that thousands of apps require. Official Market support would make the device more appealing even if it would be unable to access a large chunk of apps.

This is just at the rumor stage at this point because Barnes & Noble have signaled that it would first focus on developing its own distribution channel for apps that target the Nook Color. B&N also hasn’t given a firm time window for when it would have Froyo ready, so a January update schedule is optimistic rather than definite.

2 Comments

Having bought a Nook Color for Christmas and having my girlfriend bring it back here to Oz for the hope of having it become a tablet either officially or rooted just paid off if this comes through. Hell yeh! You made my day